Bamboo-based plate member having a buffer structure therein

ABSTRACT

A bamboo-based plate member includes a top panel made of small bamboo chips pressed together and glued, a bottom panel made of small bamboo chips pressed together and glued, an intermediate buffering structure sandwiched between the top panel and the bottom panel, the intermediate buffering structure being a flat bamboo frame member having open spaces therein, and a plurality of bamboo slats sandwiched between the top panel and the bottom panel around the periphery of the intermediate buffering structure in a flush manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention to plate members for building construction andfurniture and more particularly, to a bamboo-based plate member having abuffer structure therein.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Many materials including metals, wood, plastics, glass, leather, andetc., are used to make tables, chairs, cabinets and many other differentfurniture. A wooden furniture shows an antique sense of beauty, andgives a warm touch. Using wood as building material needs to cut downtrees and prepare them as marketable timber. However, over loggingbrings disaster to the earth. Further, conventional wooden furniture arecommonly heavy and expense, not convenient for delivery. Using plywoodfor making furniture saves the cost, however a plywood furniture has lowstrength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide abamboo-based plate member for making furniture, which has high strengthand low weight characteristics. It is another object of the presentinvention to provide a bamboo-based plate member, which is practical foruse in building construction and furniture to substitute for woodenplate members.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the bamboo-based platemember includes a top panel made of small bamboo chips pressed togetherand glued, a bottom panel made of small bamboo chips pressed togetherand glued, an intermediate buffering structure sandwiched between thetop panel and the bottom panel, the intermediate buffering structurebeing a flat bamboo frame member having open spaces therein, and aplurality of bamboo slats sandwiched between the top panel and thebottom panel around the periphery of the intermediate bufferingstructure in a flush manner.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the intermediatebuffering structure can be comprised of straight bamboo stripsintersected together, a plurality of bamboo rings peripherally bonded toone another, a plurality of wave-like bamboo strips arranged into alattice and fixedly fastened together, a plurality of straight bamboostrips arranged in parallel and bonded to the bottom wall of the toppanel and the top wall of the bottom panel, a plurality of V-shapedbamboo strips arranged into a lattice and fixedly fastened together, ora plurality of curved bamboo strips fixedly fastened together to show abeehive configuration.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction tothe present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects ofthe present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detaileddescription of the invention and the claims should be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specificationand drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similarparts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will becomemanifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to thedetailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which apreferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of thepresent invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a bamboo-based plate member in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the bamboo-base plate member inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the present invention, showing analternate form of the intermediate buffering structure.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the present invention, showing anotheralternate form of the intermediate buffering structure.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the present invention, showing stillanother alternate form of the intermediate buffering structure.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the present invention, showing stillanother form of the intermediate buffering structure.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the present invention, showing stillanother form of the intermediate buffering structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and arenot intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of theinvention in any way. Rather, the following description provides aconvenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made inthe function and arrangement of the elements described without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bamboo-based plate member in accordancewith the present invention is shown comprising a top panel 1, a bottompanel 2, an intermediate buffering structure 3, and peripheral bambooslats 4.

The top panel 1 and the bottom panel 2 are respectively made of smallbamboo chips that are pressed together and glued. The bamboo chips canbe have any size and shape. They can be waste chips obtained fromfactories, or specially processed small pieces of bamboo material.

The bamboo slats 4 are specially processed, having predeterminedlengths, widths and heights to be sandwiched between the top panel 1 andthe bottom panel around the periphery of the intermediate bufferingstructure 3. The intermediate buffering structure 3 is a flat bambooframe member having open spaces therein and sandwiched between the toppanel 1 and the bottom panel 2.

The intermediate buffering structure 3 may be made in any of a varietyof forms. According to the example shown in FIG. 1, the intermediatebuffering structure 3 is comprised of straight bamboo strips 31 of twodifferent lengths intersected together.

FIG. 3 illustrates still another example of the intermediate bufferingstructure 3. According to this example, the intermediate bufferingstructure 3 is comprised of bamboo rings 32 peripherally bonded to oneanother.

FIG. 4 illustrates still another example of the intermediate bufferingstructure 3. According to this example, the intermediate bufferingstructure 3 is comprised of wave-like bamboo strips 33 arranged into alattice and bonded together, or fixedly fastened together with fasteningmeans (not shown). FIG. 5 illustrates still another example of theintermediate buffering structure 3. According to this example, theintermediate buffering structure 3 is comprised of straight bamboostrips 31 arranged in parallel and directly bonded to the bottom wall ofthe top panel 1 and the top wall of the bottom panel 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates still another example of the intermediate bufferingstructure 3. According to this example, the intermediate bufferingstructure 3 is comprised of V-shaped bamboo strips 33 arranged into alattice, and bonded together or fixedly fastened together with fasteningmeans (not shown). FIG. 7 illustrates still another example of theintermediate buffering structure 3. According to this example, theintermediate buffering structure 3 is comprised of specially curvedbamboo strips 35 that are fixedly fastened together to show a beehiveconfiguration.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together may also find a useful application in other types ofmethods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intendedto be limited to the details above, since it will be understood thatvarious omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the formsand details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be madeby those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spiritof the present invention.

1. A bamboo-based plate member comprising: a top panel made of smallbamboo chips pressed together and glued; a bottom panel made of smallbamboo chips pressed together and glued; an intermediate bufferingstructure sandwiched between said top panel and said bottom panel, saidintermediate buffering structure being a flat bamboo frame member havingopen spaces therein; and a plurality of bamboo slats sandwiched betweensaid top panel and said bottom panel around the periphery of saidintermediate buffering structure in flush with the periphery of said toppanel and said bottom panel.
 2. The bamboo-based plate member as claimedin claim 1, wherein said intermediate buffering structure is comprisedof straight bamboo strips intersected together. 3-7. (canceled)